Pseudonymous YouTuber Volos Initiatives has constructed a surprisingly full-featured multimeter from a LILYGO T-Show S3 and a Texas Devices INA219 — plus a number of further sensors thrown in for good measure.
“This can be a energy meter mission,” Volos explains of his newest creation, “however I additionally added time, temperature, and some extra surprises to it. [The LILYGO T-Display development boards] have one tiny [Grove-compatible] connector which is used to attach completely different I2C modules. [The] Soldered firm produce many distinction modules and sensors that use the identical connector.”
It is these modules, related utilizing flying wires without having to solder something down, which type the inputs of the do-it-yourself multimeter. As with an off-the-shelf mannequin, the machine’s major operate is to measure the voltage and present draw of a related circuit — leaning on a TI INA219 for the measurement job. The readings are proven on the T-Show’s built-in 1.9″ LCD display, utilizing a hybrid analog-and-digital visualization with giant seven-segment-style digits atop a sliding scale.
Whereas measuring voltage and present is sufficient to lay declare to “multi” meter performance, Volos has taken the mission a number of steps additional. A Bosch BMP180 module offers ambient temperature, humidity, and air stress readings, whereas a real-time clock (RTC) module places the present time on-screen. There’s additionally a linear potentiometer, showcasing the flexibility to measure resistance — and likewise offering a management for show brightness for good measure.
The accuracy of the machine is nice, whereas the retro-style show theme is definitely readable. (📷: Volos Initiatives)
The mission’s code is written within the Arduino IDE and compiled for the T-Show S3’s Espressif ESP32-S3R8 microcontroller, utilizing a customized consumer interface which simulates a basic monochrome LCD. “I actually love this design,” Volos says. “It appears to be like like a multimeter show, and I spent hours and hours to program this.”
Extra info is on the market in Volos’ video on the mission, whereas the supply code will be discovered on GitHub below an unspecified open supply license.